Alright, I typed a long version full of expletives and funny, witty lines about eBay etcetc, but here is the non-offensive version:
First, I apologize for offending the Taiwanese national. I honestly don't know what your country's major export is, so the baby shoe/paper plate line was a joke. (Taiwan always > P.R.China)
Now then, I took a few pics with my iphone once the lights were installed but they didn't turn out. I started unpacking at 1pm on Tuesday afternoon. The packing quality was excellent, they literally walled the box with tri-cardboard pieces filled with foam and cut to fit the assembly to the Tee. (each headlight had it's own box within a larger box for stability). It all looked very, very nice. Holding it in my hand it felt real sturdy, I shook it to try and here a rattle and it was solid. At this point I thought I got a hell of a deal.
With both headlights in hand, I figured the install would take around 2 to 2.5 hours doing it solo until my friend got off work, then he said he'd help out (I'd never removed my bumper before. It was hard the first time 'round, but I could do it in 15 min now..) So I figured maybe 2 hours since I'd never done it before. But, being the "plan-ahead" kinda person, I set aside 4 hours just incase.
So, I grabbed a 6pack, got some tools, and got to work. I started my stop watch at 2:15 PM, and started on my bumper. Just like the OP in this DIY, the bumper removal went well. It took me a while to find some screws that were hiding, but I got them.
3:30 Bumper is off.
4:15 Headlights out.
5:00 New headlights in. Friend gets home.
FINALLY GET THE LIGHTS GOING. I just put them in without leveling, simply to see if the AE's really were super bright or not and if the HID's ran ok. They lit up, and I almost fell down.
It was definitely the brightest AE's I'd ever seen. I tested them about 5pm, the sun was just starting to drop, so in ~75% daylight these things looked awesome!! I was amped, my two hour deadline obviously got scrapped, but they looked so good I couldn't begin to complain! (yet)
Reward Mid-Job--
6:00 Beer run. I had to drive a Camry to the store. I parked as far away from the entrance as possible. FML.
6:15 12 pack > 6 pack
6:30 Tighten all bolts/torx etc, replace bumper, COMPLETELY put car back together.
7:45 I take my car down the block, bring it back and point it at my garage to start leveling the HIDs.
7:46 Heart Attack. My AE's FELL INTO my assembly. My actual digital camera was dead, and my iphone lens is scratched to hell, so the pics I took with it don't even show the problem (won't bother posting). The AE's full ring was now a half moon, because the bottom half was below the black plastic INSIDE the assembly.
I popped the back off of the headlight to try and pick the set of AE's up and position them atop that black plastic rest I'd mentioned. To my surprise, they were completely LOOSE. With one finger I could move the set of AE's in the assembly... No freakin wonder they fell off their mount.. THEY AREN'T STABLE, they aren't anchored. I bet they fell out of place before I got all the way backed out of my drive way..
8:00 Pissed. Friend with M shows up, points at me, laughs, then leaves with half my beer. Decidedly, he is an asshole.
8:15 I am still trying to get the freakin headlights back on mount. It was just the right side, so maybe if I look at the left side assembly I can reverse engineer it's set-up ??
8:30 GOT IT. I got it back on mount after an hour or so, I decide they are worth keeping (they look that good. I always go name brand, but these were good looking enough to change my mind).
8:31 drive to my M friend's house to point out I am intellectually superior because my AE's are better then the AE's on his $65,000 Bimmer.
8:32 He laughs. My AE's had fallen out of place AGAIN before I made it the two miles to his house... He asks if I can pop the back off the assembly so he can move the AE's around and try to position them himself. Sure, says I, lemmee just pop this plastic piece here *SNAP*. wtf?? Back of assembly falls into engine compartment, it broke off of headlight. PISSED. Beer retrieved. DEPO 3 > PHD 0
8:40 No matter what I did, no matter what adjustment I changed, tightend, loosened, broke off or added, I could not get those things to sit still. I did make it a bit better (a better, more stationary fit, but still not to my satisfaction. I knew the first speed bump would push it off mount.) I didn't bother with leveling HID's. I removed the bumper, ripped these things out (this is my daily car. I had to have trustable functioning headlights for that night to get home, and the next day for work) and put Halogens in.
9:30 Done. 2 hour project?? yeah right. I have to either find a back to the assembly (very cheap back. decent build quality on the assembly, except for AE's, but the back was held on not with a metal clamp like our original BMW parts, but a plastic clip. again, cheap. ) or I have to try and get this guy to exchange them (IF he can tell me how to steady the AE's) and if not I'm gonna get a refund. This ruined both my night and my buz..no cool LED headlights for me.
And sorry no pics, I left the box at my friends house cause he said he'd ship them back for me. But anyone with a DEPO set should know what I'm talking about. If so, PLEASE tell me how to tighten the things up, they look too good to send back
If there are question or if I didn't cover something just gimmie a shout.